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tigger1502

Squeeker

Joined: July 22, 2009
Posts: 16

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 26, 2009 - 01:53 PM

Hi guys. Having read a lot of the posts I will head to Jinlindonglu this weekend, but I would appreciate some guidance from guitar lovers reading the threads here. My son (14) in Canada is asking for an electric guitar for Christmas -- he has shown me a couple of Fender designs he likes, but it comes down to the fact that it will be his first electric -- he wants it to look cool and expensive and sound good -- he's playing Nickelback, GnR, and AC/DC on his acoustic but wants to bring the house down. I have heard good things about locally made electrics which then have a brand logo slapped on them....could somebody please tell me a relatively safe bet? I can make the call on what he thinks looks cool, but I am no judge of a decent guitar sound. Are there sizing issues for a 14 year old? Advice much appreciated. Oh, and ballpark price please. Thanks.

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tigger1502

Swiss-James

Post Roaster

Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 4323

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 26, 2009 - 02:30 PM

I think 14 is old enough to buy a full sized electric guitar, there are kids sizes out there- but as long as you get one with a fairly thin neck (ask the staff) he should be OK.

It's hard to give advice about guitar sound and what to look for to a non-player- you're probably better off just looking around until you find a place and vendor who seems fairly trustworthy, then throwing yourself at his mercy and explaining who you're shopping for.

I think 1000RMB is a good amount to be spending on a guitar he can play for the next few years. If he's still into it when he's 17- he'll have a lot more of an idea about what he wants to be playing.

JinLing Lu isn't like the fake market in terms of how much you can get screwed over. Maybe it helps if you speak a little chinese and can play a few licks on a guitar- but I've always been told a decent price when I've first asked and normally settle for 20% less than the asking price.

Get a bag you can carry the thing home in- if it's not a hard case you won't want to check it in at the airport so bear that in mind.

I guess you're going to get an amp when you're back in Canada?

He's right handed, right?

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tigger1502

Squeeker

Joined: July 22, 2009
Posts: 16

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 26, 2009 - 04:15 PM

Thanks a lot - all very helpful information and it makes me feel better about the experience in advance.

Swiss-James wrote:

...as long as you get one with a fairly thin neck (ask the staff) he should be OK.

Had no idea, so good point.

Swiss-James wrote:

.......you're probably better off just looking around until you find a place and vendor who seems fairly trustworthy, then throwing yourself at his mercy and explaining who you're shopping for.

On that basis I will do just that.

Swiss-James wrote:

...I think 1000RMB is a good amount to be spending on a guitar he can play for the next few years..

Thanks, with a guideline in mind now I can assess against what is proposed to me.

Swiss-James wrote:

...JinLing Lu isn't like the fake market in terms of how much you can get screwed over....I've always been told a decent price when I've first asked and normally settle for 20% less than the asking price.

Good, that's a relief, I don't mind paying a fair price, I just get tired of the screwed over bit sometimes!

Swiss-James wrote:

...Get a bag you can carry the thing home in- if it's not a hard case you won't want to check it in at the airport so bear that in mind.

Good idea. I'll check with the airline and try to carry it on - I would prefer a soft case hand carry to a hard case and pray the bag handlers don't treat the instrument the way they did my bike!

Swiss-James wrote:

...I guess you're going to get an amp when you're back in Canada?

Yes, as it's 110v there, I think it would be better to get one in Canada -- is it a dumb question to ask if the jacks (input/output) are standard?

Swiss-James wrote:

...He's right handed, right?

Yes, and good question.

Thanks again for the tips. I will go down there on the weekend and I shall feed back my experience. Cheers.

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tigger1502

Swiss-James

Post Roaster

Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 4323

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 26, 2009 - 06:52 PM

tigger1502 wrote:

Swiss-James wrote:

...I guess you're going to get an amp when you're back in Canada?

Yes, as it's 110v there, I think it would be better to get one in Canada -- is it a dumb question to ask if the jacks (input/output) are standard?

Not dumb, yes they're standard.

Damn I wish I was 14 again getting my first guitar.

(Actually now that I think about it, homework sucked)

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chad747

Newbie

Joined: Sep 13, 2008
Posts: 6

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 29, 2009 - 10:03 AM

I have seen JinLing Lu rd, East Jinling Road(near Peoples' square), Parsons Music 16 Fenyang Lu, Bestfriend music in Jungling Rd, Jerry at 316 JinLing Lu, 318 JinLing Lu. Any recent recommendations, and what should I pay for a decent Gibson fake?

Something like this
http://www.ioffer.com/i/125663651

Thanks

Swiss-James

Post Roaster

Joined: Jan 05, 2007
Posts: 4323

Status: Offline

Posted: Oct 29, 2009 - 05:28 PM

chad- I'm probably the one who recommended Jerry at #316, they have a reasonable selection there and Jerry was a nice guy. Lots of shops around there though, have a look at a few of them.

I'd guess Gibson copies would start be around 600-2000 but I've never looked.

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chad747

Newbie

Joined: Sep 13, 2008
Posts: 6

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Posted: Oct 30, 2009 - 09:04 AM

Thanks

tigger1502

Squeeker

Joined: July 22, 2009
Posts: 16

Status: Offline

Posted: Nov 05, 2009 - 11:38 AM

Well Swiss-James thanks for all your advice. My son gave me an idea of style and sound he was looking for, and I took a Sunday trip down JinLing Lu.

After looking in probably 20 different shops, and from talking to one or two sales people in particular who were mid-20s and self-proclaimed hard-rock/metal fans, I was steered away from Stratocasters and have settled on the ESP LTD Viper-50. It's more expensive than I had planned, but as slightly skewed Gibson SG shape, it's not strictly speaking a copy -- all along JinLing Lu the price ranged from RMB 1,800 - 2,500, but I have found a shop through taobao.com that sells them for 1,550 made in Indonesia, with a warranty and a refund guarantee. I've got a musician friend who will do the receiving inspection for me, and they do have a business address so I will probably go and pick it up with him rather than trust a delivery man.

From reading up online, this guitar lends itself heavily to hard rock sounds, but requires proper setup first, something I think I need to do in Shanghai or with my son's music teacher.

A friend is recommending a Roland Cube X-30 to go with it -- to be honest I think I am spoiling the kid rotten. He's telling me that if he gets his guitar then Christmas Day will resound with AC/DC and something called Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace -- to my aging ears much more metal than rock...

I'll let you know how the experience goes...thanks again.

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